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Published: March 21st 2008
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Hello from Vietnam!
Just a quick update as to what I've been upto...(sorry for the lack of pictures - this computer is sooo slow and so I will upload them next time i'm on!!)
We left Chiang Mai nearly 2 weeks ago by sleeper train down to Bangkok which took around 15 hours. The journey was pretty good, especially after we found the drink car at the end of the train playing the same 5 songs on a loop which included YMCA amongst other things! Everyone was dancing, singing and drinking - and after expecting a hot cup of milo (which i finished and which was not milo) I was poured a mix of Singa beer with some scotch whisky! Lotsa fun! 😊
After a day in Bangkok we travelled to Cambodia by bus - we set off at around 8am in the morning and after what we were told would be a 10 hour journey - we arrived in Siem Reap at around 11pm that night after experiencing 'the great bus scam' (as documented in lonely planet!!). We took a bus to Poipet where we were to cross the border - we stopped for lunch and our
guides told us that they could sort out our visas for us for a 'very reasonable fee' 😊. We decided to chance it at the border as their 'reasonable fee' was significantly more than the visa should cost which is around $20 US. So at the border we ended up paying the cambodian police $30 US for the visa!
Cambodia in general though is amazing - the people are so friendly and despite the fact that they try to short change you or scam you they are happy to acknowledge this when you point out that you have noticed! The level of English here seems so much higher than in Thailand - maybe because there are 4-5 year old kids trying to sell you cold water, bracelets, postcards and most things you can imagine for $1. They will follow you for miles and sometimes even get quite aggressive! Its very hard to see how much poverty there is here and even on the bus ride from Poipet to Siem Reap the road is dirt track for the entire 150kms. Despite the fact that the houses were in such bad condition, everything being so dirty etc - the people were
having parties and singing and dancing outside with their neighbours which was amazing to see. Some random sights though, like kids selling petrol in old beer / whiskey bottles on street corners or families, dogs and chickens on motorbikes!
Angkor Temples were spectacular - we saw Ankor Wat at sunrise on one of the 3 days we were there and which was amazing. Its hard to imagine how they were created, designed and built nearly 1000 years ago. I have so many pictures - none of which really capture how impressive these temples are.
Also spent a couple of days in Sihanoukville (south coast of cambodia) which was so great - we weren't sure whether to go there or not as a lot of people had said it wouldnt be worth it but am so glad we did!! The beaches are beautiful and there are so many places that are completely untouched. All along the beaches there are shacks run by cambodian people and it is not totally overrun by tourists and big resorts etc...
Had a good night on St Paddies day too at the beach - lots of fun and free green shots?! Was good
to celebrate on the beach though 😊
After Sihanoukville we went back up to Phnom Penh again in order to get across to Vietnam. We visited S21 prison and the killing fields just outside of Phnom Penh. S21 is the prison that was used during the Khmer Rouge rule in the '70s before people were taken to the killing fields. It has been turned into a sort of museum but has been left very much as it was. It was quite a hard hitting and emotional day - everything you see and that they talk about all happened so recently and everywhere you look in cambodia there are reminders of it. So many people you see now all over Cambodia are disabled disfigured in some way - missing limbs, eyes etc and begging on the streets. Pretty much everyone over the age of 30 years was affected as probably a quarter of the population were killed at the time - hard to imagine.
After Phnom Penh we had a day long journey to Vietnam - Saigon via Chau Doc. Again - it was a 10 hour journey that took us 18 hours...a very long story and a really
horrible day!! Definitely the worst day of travelling so far but we eventually got to Saigon late in the evening and all is fine!! Will save that story for the next blog though as this one is long enough already!! 😊
Hope everything is good at home with everyone 😊 Cant believe I am well over half way through the trip - just about 5 and half weeks til i'm home!
Anyway take care and have a good easter weekend!!
xx
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